A small orchard of nine trees, six apples, a pear, a plum and a cherry were planted in 2012 with funding from Micklegate Ward Committee. The trees were chosen for their heritage value as well as their superb flavours and hardiness. There is an information board on the site with lots of information about the orchard and the adjacent copse of native trees which were planted by all the pupils at Scarcroft School in November 2019.

The grassy sward beneath the trees has been planted and sown over the years with a huge variety of native flower species; there are 36 (and counting!) species in the orchard and copse area while only 5 on the rest of the green. The sward is scythed at the end of the summer and the cuttings removed to keep the area from getting too rich in nutrients.

The area is managed by local people with the help of folk from St Nick’s.

We have regular work and learning sessions: scything, pruning, species identification, habitat building. And regular celebrations and festivals: harvest and juicing, wassail, blossom time and a summer picnic. We are always very happy to have folk come along and join in. Contact laurapotts@phonecoop.coop to go on a mailing list for the orchard and to hear what is going on.

Greenfields is a combined school (Haxby Road Primary) and community garden project. The community garden was started in 2011 when the planning included the local school, residents and scouts in the designs for an orchard, plus a nature-friendly fruit and vegetable space. It is still used as a picnic and recreation space, but now has more butterflies, bees, birds and wildlife.

Cared for by:
Greenfields Community Primary School

Things to help out with here:
Planting and growing fruit and vegetables

Fulford Community Orchard is what remains of the old orchard that originally belonged to Naburn Hospital. Many of the trees were planted some ninety-plus years ago. When the hospital was demolished in the 1980s to make way for York Designer Outlet the orchard was neglected and uncared for. Later saved from development, over fifty trees have survived (a mixture of plums, damson, pear and apple). They have become the basis of a community orchard for Fulford.

Cared for by:
Friends of York Community Orchard

Things to help out with here:
Fruit picking and site management

A small area of woodland of mixed trees including fruit trees and also a wild flower meadow. Used by the local schools for Forest School and by the local community. The Friends organise events throughout the year and always welcome new volunteers.

Cared for by:
Friends of Danesmead Wood

Things to help out with here:
Litter picking, maintenance of footpaths, maintenance of specific areas such as wildflower meadow

This site is one of two green spaces created in York to mark the start of the new millennium. The site is managed by local people who have planted a thriving orchard. In addition to the usual garden and farmland birds, the site attracts cuckoos, reed buntings and corn buntings. A pond on the site features some colourful flowers including yellow iris, great willowherb and greater spearwort. Deer, foxes and bats can also be seen here.

Cared for by:
Nether Poppleton Millennium Green Trust

We have extended the embrace of Holgate community Garden to the green known as Holgate Dock (historically it was used to “dock” animals being herded to market in York) where, working with the children of St Paul’s Primary CE School, we have planted a perimeter of 8 fruit trees (3 plums, 3 dessert apples, and 2 crab apples) underplanted with a wildflower sward, as well as underplanted the established cherry trees on the Northern perimeter of the green with herbaceous perennial wildflowers, such as primroses and red campion, and a succession of thousands of native spring bulbs: snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), dwarf daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), and English bluebells (Hyacinthoides nonscripta).
Dogs are not allowed in this space.

Cared for by:
Holgate Community Garden (voluntary group of local residents)

Things to help out with here:
Apple and plum picking, litter picking, scything…

Holgate Community Garden came into being in Spring 2014: a community effort to transform a neglected park into a vibrant, life-enhancing space for anyone to come enjoy and for the community to have the opportunity to grow edibles and participate in gardening.

If you were to visit the garden today you could expect to see a jubilant, pollinator-friendly garden, all organically managed, with year-round interest and a wide variety of edibles grown in 6 new raised beds; flowering climbers rambling up new pergolas with lots of bird feeders frequented by long-tailed tits, blue tits, and robins; lots of nasturtiums, giant artichokes, and sun flowers; a herb and currant bed in its seventh year of establishment; a south-west facing wall with six-year-old espaliered apples and a variety of raspberry canes; 8 young fruit trees dotted through the garden (a plum, a gage, and several heritage apple varieties); the “Babby Oak” tree planted by local school children in the heart of a very small wildflower meadow entering its third year of establishment; and lots of children playing on new play equipment or picking and eating fresh herbs and veg, often making creations to proffer at their improvised cafe “The Ginger Cat” (named after local cat Ziggy, a regular at the garden)—collection and deliveries available from the window of the stationary wooden train.

Cared for by:
Holgate Community Garden (voluntary group of local residents)

Things to help out with here:
Weeding, watering, planting, raking, litter picking, pruning, scything…

Drop in Sessions:
Last Sunday of every month 3-4pm

Leeman Road orchard was planted behind the war memorial in 2015 and the fruit trees are now well established.

Cared for by
Friends of Leeman Park

York Cemetery is one of only two privately owned Victorian Cemeteries in the country. Whilst still a working cemetery, the site is actively managed to encourage wildlife and has a butterfly walk, woodland glades and many other features attractive to wildlife. Foxes can often be seen roaming the grounds. A number of wildlife events are organized during the year including bat nights, butterfly walks and moth nights.

More information in these leaflets

To get in touch, email admin@yorkcemetery.org.uk

Cared for by:
Friends of York Cemetery

Things to help out with here:
Cemetery grounds management

Organised tasks take place on the first Saturday of every month from 10.00am till 2.00pm throughout the year. Please contact the office (Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm) to confirm the date and time. No experience is needed. Stay for just an hour or for the whole session.

The Weekday Scented Walk Group’s sessions are flexible but they try and put in a morning’s work every three weeks or so, usually on a Monday.

If you would prefer to volunteer on weekdays, there may be other opportunities available depending on your skills and experience.